Written Answers Tuesday 18 March 2008

Scottish Executive

2014 Commonwealth Games

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled and learning-disabled representatives will be on the planning committee for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Stewart Maxwell: The delivery of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and the group structure to support that work, is a matter for the Glasgow 2014 Organising Company.

  The Scottish Government places great importance on its requirements under the public sector equality duties. From a games legacy perspective, all equality groups, including disability groups, are being consulted as part of the Glasgow 2014 – Delivering a lasting legacy for Scotland consultation process which the First Minister and other Glasgow 2014 partners launched on 15 February 2008. We are currently considering the membership of the Scottish Legacy Board and its supporting sub-groups to help develop and deliver a games legacy plan. In doing so we will ensure that the interests of all groups, including people with a physical or learning disability, are represented.

Central Heating Programme

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households were waiting for (a) less and (b) more than three months in each postcode area in Scotland for installations under the central heating and warm deal programmes at 28 February 2008.

Stewart Maxwell: For the central heating programme, the managing agent has indicated that the number of households waiting less and more than three months at the end of February 2008 in each postcode area is shown in the following table.

  

 2008
 AB
 DD
 DG
 EH
 FK
 G
 HS
 IV


 Less Than 3 months
 313
 192
 148
 548
 219
 1,137
 20
 132


 More than 3 months
 491
 316
 274
 654
 262
 1,350
 51
 268


 Total
 804
 508
 422
 1,202
 481
 2,487
 71
 400



  

 2008
 KA
 KW
 KY
 ML
 PA
 PH
 TD
 ZE
 Total


 Less Than 3 months
 342
 43
 266
 352
 303
 122
 67
 11
 4,215


 More than 3 months
 463
 113
 286
 461
 456
 217
 124
 33
 5,819


 Total
 805
 156
 552
 813
 759
 339
 191
 44
 10,034



  For the warm deal programme, the managing agent has indicated that the number of households waiting less and more than three months at the end of February 2008 in each postcode area is shown in the following table.

  

 2008
 AB
 DD
 DG
 EH
 FK
 G
 HS
 IV


 Less Than 3 months
 38
 60
 75
 248
 89
 373
 17
 50


 More than 3 months
 38
 68
 136
 211
 92
 359
 17
 63


 Total
 76
 128
 211
 459
 181
 732
 34
 113



  

 2008
 KA
 KW
 KY
 ML
 PA
 PH
 TD
 ZE
 Total


 Less Than 3 months
 123
 6
 92
 109
 708
 42
 41
 4
 1,445


 More than 3 months
 165
 29
 73
 161
 163
 68
 54
 10
 1,707


 Total
 288
 35
 165
 270
 241
 110
 95
 14
 3,152

Central Heating Programme

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households were waiting for (a) less and (b) more than three months in each postcode area in Scotland for installations under the central heating and warm deal programmes at 28 February 2007.

Stewart Maxwell: The managing agent has indicated that it is unable to provide accurate information on the number of households waiting less or more than three months at 28 February 2007.

Central Heating Programme

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households were waiting for (a) less and (b) more than three months in each postcode area in Scotland for installations under the central heating and warm deal programmes at 28 February 2006.

Stewart Maxwell: The current managing agent (Scottish Gas) took over responsibility for the programme on 1 October 2006.

  The information requested for 28 February 2006 is no longer available, due to the change in managing agent and the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive’s failure to keep the information requested.

Central Heating Programme

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households were waiting for (a) less and (b) more than three months in each postcode area in Scotland for installations under the central heating and warm deal programmes at 28 February 2005.

Stewart Maxwell: The current managing agent (Scottish Gas) took over responsibility for the programme on 1 October 2006.

  The information requested for 28 February 2005 is no longer available, due to the change in managing agent and the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive’s failure to keep the information requested.

Education

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with special needs are supported in mainstream schools.

Maureen Watt: The figures for numbers of pupils with additional support needs in mainstream schools are published in Table 1.5 of Pupils in Scotland 2007 , which is available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/25145216/3 .

Education

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal requirements are for detailing the level of support and service provision that must be included in co-ordinated support plans for children with special needs.

Maureen Watt: The Additional Support for Learning (Co-ordinated Support Plan) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005 specify the content of a co-ordinated support plan. Guidance on what a co-ordinated support plan should contain can be found in chapter 4, paragraphs 43-59 of supporting children’s learning code of practice , to which education authorities are required to have regard.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/15105817/58187.

Education

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the development of the early years framework.

Adam Ingram: I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government and COSLA are launching a joint policy statement on the early years framework today. The document is available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/earlyyearsframework .

  Getting it right in the early years is key to improving outcomes for children. The policy statement sets out an agreed approach to developing early intervention and early years work that will provide coherent support across all services to children, parents and their families. It recognises the imperative of ensuring that all children and families receive the support they need to give every child the strongest possible start in life. This is one of the Scottish Government’s strategic priorities as reflected in the national performance framework outcomes and indicators.

  The joint policy statement also sets out the proposed areas of work that will form the basis of a detailed policy development phase and states how these will be taken forward. The specific areas of work will be subject to consultation until mid-April.

  Thereafter the early years framework will be developed in detail with all those with an interest, including children and parents, over the coming months. The final policy detail will be published in summer or autumn 2008.

External Relations

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on progress towards meeting its International Strategy targets.

Linda Fabiani: I will publish the International Framework next month which will set out our priorities for the Scottish Government’s international activities and the ways in which we will evaluate and report on our progress.

Ferry Services

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why NorthLink Ferries is introducing a requirement for passengers to provide photo ID before they board its ferries, whereas CalMac is not introducing such a requirement on any of its ferry services.

Stewart Stevenson: I understand that NorthLink Ferries Ltd has taken the view that this measure is necessary to ensure the safety and security of its passengers, crew and vessels as part of its wider approach to security, health and safety issues. I also understand that CalMac Ferries Ltd does not feel that such a step is currently necessary on its own routes but will keep this matter under review as part of its on-going consideration of operational security, health and safety arrangements.

Ferry Services

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it gave its approval to the introduction by NorthLink Ferries of a requirement for passengers to provide photo ID before they board its ferries.

Stewart Stevenson: No. It is for individual ferry companies to take their own decisions on such operational matters.

Local Government Finance

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much outstanding debt each local authority has as a result of borrowing, shown also as a percentage of their total budget.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much outstanding debt each local authority had as a result of borrowing in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007, shown also as a percentage of their total budget.

John Swinney: The following tables show the levels of outstanding debt for each local authority for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 (the latest year for which figures are available) along with the associated debt servicing charges (repayments of principle, interest, loans fund expenses and leasing charges) and their total net revenue expenditure. It is not appropriate to compare outstanding debt with total expenditure as this is not to compare like with like. Therefore, the final column of each table shows annual debt service charges as a percentage of total net revenue expenditure (that is, how much of each authority’s total expenditure is used to fund debt).

  (a) Financial Year 2002-03 (All Values in £000)

  

 Local Authority
 Outstanding Debt at 31 Mar 2003
 In-Year Debt Servicing Charges
 In-Year Net Revenue Expenditure*
 Debt Servicing Charges to Net Revenue Expenditure (%)


 Aberdeen City
 372,297
 27,389
 321,998
 8.5


 Aberdeenshire
 368,544
 25,688
 357,727
 7.2


 Angus
 113,157
 8,410
 180,887
 4.7


 Argyll and Bute
 229,164
 24,780
 167,752
 14.8


 Clackmannanshire
 78,437
 5,393
 73,649
 7.3


 Dumfries and Galloway
 277,782
 17,943
 247,439
 7.3


 Dundee City
 292,273
 18,834
 266,742
 7.1


 East Ayrshire
 189,546
 11,037
 200,474
 5.5


 East Dunbartonshire
 124,071
 12,002
 157,983
 7.6


 East Lothian
 132,289
 11,771
 137,005
 8.6


 East Renfrewshire
 96,267
 9,149
 140,270
 6.5


 Edinburgh, City of
 846,079
 77,478
 710,670
 10.9


 Eilean Siar
 183,146
 19,492
 87,801
 22.2


 Falkirk
 197,897
 12,790
 220,303
 5.8


 Fife
 515,868
 31,544
 551,922
 5.7


 Glasgow City
 1,281,468
 124,250
 1,256,961
 9.9


 Highland
 553,121
 35,512
 388,840
 9.1


 Inverclyde
 221,090
 11,560
 153,244
 7.5


 Midlothian
 91,712
 8,564
 128,599
 6.7


 Moray
 156,037
 9,821
 134,975
 7.3


 North Ayrshire
 211,726
 16,889
 215,984
 7.8


 North Lanarkshire
 410,487
 36,193
 503,280
 7.2


 Orkney Islands
 28,764
 1,605
 51,006
 3.2


 Perth and Kinross
 151,849
 13,053
 213,851
 6.1


 Renfrewshire
 282,689
 23,363
 275,161
 8.5


 Scottish Borders
 151,456
 13,953
 177,097
 7.9


 Shetland Islands
 54,334
 129
 86,902
 0.2


 South Ayrshire
 170,284
 11,212
 186,640
 6.0


 South Lanarkshire
 437,384
 36,134
 469,207
 7.7


 Stirling
 157,408
 12,825
 143,059
 9.0


 West Dunbartonshire
 187,878
 12,250
 172,893
 7.1


 West Lothian
 188,399
 17,230
 246,539
 7.0


 Total
 8,752,903
 698,243
 8,626,860
 8.1



  Note: *Net Revenue Expenditure is net expenditure financed from grants, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances.

  (b) Financial Year 2003-04 (All Values in £000)

  

 Local Authority
 Outstanding Debt at 31 Mar 2004
 In-Year Debt Servicing Charges
 In-Year Net Revenue Expenditure*
 Debt Servicing Charges to Net Revenue Expenditure (%)


 Aberdeen City
 371,605
 26,869
 362,220
 7.4


 Aberdeenshire
 366,130
 28,001
 384,571
 7.3


 Angus
 120,146
 9,408
 192,818
 4.9


 Argyll and Bute
 226,027
 25,782
 181,072
 14.2


 Clackmannanshire
 78,793
 5,781
 80,942
 7.1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 190,448
 18,196
 269,478
 6.8


 Dundee City
 296,531
 21,203
 285,760
 7.4


 East Ayrshire
 191,567
 11,998
 218,486
 5.5


 East Dunbartonshire
 120,492
 12,283
 173,965
 7.1


 East Lothian
 118,141
 11,808
 151,239
 7.8


 East Renfrewshire
 100,924
 10,263
 154,963
 6.6


 Edinburgh, City of
 842,067
 76,814
 750,762
 10.2


 Eilean Siar
 188,892
 19,674
 95,071
 20.7


 Falkirk
 190,462
 13,158
 243,052
 5.4


 Fife
 507,349
 33,209
 595,817
 5.6


 Glasgow City
 1,270,793
 132,192
 1,346,641
 9.8


 Highland
 548,785
 36,818
 439,221
 8.4


 Inverclyde
 225,574
 14,068
 171,394
 8.2


 Midlothian
 87,567
 9,604
 142,535
 6.7


 Moray
 157,652
 10,563
 144,392
 7.3


 North Ayrshire
 206,657
 19,151
 233,025
 8.2


 North Lanarkshire
 391,233
 32,535
 536,592
 6.1


 Orkney Islands
 32,899
 1,709
 54,951
 3.1


 Perth and Kinross
 153,697
 13,466
 232,392
 5.8


 Renfrewshire
 275,286
 25,945
 300,250
 8.6


 Scottish Borders
 154,971
 15,907
 192,044
 8.3


 Shetland Islands
 53,069
 129
 80,706
 0.2


 South Ayrshire
 171,168
 11,639
 200,722
 5.8


 South Lanarkshire
 420,793
 37,643
 517,490
 7.3


 Stirling
 154,394
 13,602
 156,767
 8.7


 West Dunbartonshire
 184,764
 12,570
 194,713
 6.5


 West Lothian
 175,789
 16,689
 261,384
 6.4


 Total
 8,574,665
 728,677
 9,345,434
 7.8



  Note: *Net Revenue Expenditure is net expenditure financed from grants, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances.

  (c) Financial Year 2004-05 (All Values in £000)

  

 Local Authority
 Outstanding Debt at 31 Mar 2005
 In-Year Debt Servicing Charges
 In-Year Net Revenue Expenditure*
 Debt Servicing Charges to Net Revenue Expenditure (%)


 Aberdeen City
 392,167
 24,246
 388,531
 6.2


 Aberdeenshire
 365,908
 28,061
 408,727
 6.9


 Angus
 124,655
 8,999
 204,379
 4.4


 Argyll and Bute
 223,328
 26,826
 197,401
 13.6


 Clackmannanshire
 82,107
 6,232
 88,643
 7.0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 188,531
 18,762
 287,928
 6.5


 Dundee City
 304,391
 19,283
 297,550
 6.5


 East Ayrshire
 188,895
 12,421
 220,694
 5.6


 East Dunbartonshire
 118,363
 13,090
 186,049
 7.0


 East Lothian
 112,837
 10,704
 172,217
 6.2


 East Renfrewshire
 104,375
 11,303
 165,397
 6.8


 Edinburgh, City of
 816,074
 74,884
 801,827
 9.3


 Eilean Siar
 185,106
 20,353
 99,548
 20.5


 Falkirk
 196,289
 13,605
 258,960
 5.3


 Fife
 503,215
 34,887
 625,222
 5.6


 Glasgow City
 1,281,054
 124,419
 1,406,302
 8.9


 Highland
 551,465
 37,099
 445,027
 8.3


 Inverclyde
 224,211
 14,034
 174,868
 8.0


 Midlothian
 84,443
 10,703
 155,031
 6.9


 Moray
 161,187
 11,697
 159,953
 7.3


 North Ayrshire
 193,288
 19,305
 245,404
 7.9


 North Lanarkshire
 392,312
 31,695
 557,281
 5.7


 Orkney Islands
 33,838
 2,207
 64,289
 3.4


 Perth and Kinross
 159,296
 13,109
 244,022
 5.4


 Renfrewshire
 274,658
 27,300
 309,942
 8.8


 Scottish Borders
 161,022
 15,581
 204,286
 7.6


 Shetland Islands
 51,728
 50
 85,600
 0.1


 South Ayrshire
 172,965
 12,170
 208,693
 5.8


 South Lanarkshire
 399,438
 39,032
 533,816
 7.3


 Stirling
 153,652
 13,865
 169,503
 8.2


 West Dunbartonshire
 189,309
 12,735
 194,726
 6.5


 West Lothian
 189,824
 16,083
 284,950
 5.6


 Total
 8,579,931
 724,740
 9,846,766
 7.4



  Note: *Net Revenue Expenditure is net expenditure financed from grants, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances.

  (d) Financial Year 2005-06 (All Values in £000)

  

 Local Authority
 Outstanding Debt at 31 Mar 2006
 In-Year Debt Servicing Charges
 In-Year Net Revenue Expenditure*
 Debt Servicing Charges to Net Revenue Expenditure (%)


 Aberdeen City
 406,382
 25,931
 424,104
 6.1


 Aberdeenshire
 365,691
 28,105
 447,234
 6.3


 Angus
 131,498
 9,248
 210,771
 4.4


 Argyll and Bute
 228,959
 28,151
 220,834
 12.8


 Clackmannanshire
 87,607
 6,661
 96,293
 6.9


 Dumfries and Galloway
 190,931
 18,436
 312,789
 5.9


 Dundee City
 315,853
 20,897
 315,687
 6.6


 East Ayrshire
 182,413
 13,662
 237,354
 5.8


 East Dunbartonshire
 116,026
 13,528
 205,050
 6.6


 East Lothian
 128,504
 11,081
 179,622
 6.2


 East Renfrewshire
 108,901
 11,761
 179,479
 6.6


 Edinburgh, City of
 842,049
 72,727
 859,406
 8.5


 Eilean Siar
 189,381
 20,489
 107,020
 19.1


 Falkirk
 196,898
 15,221
 278,878
 5.5


 Fife
 502,279
 38,368
 694,817
 5.5


 Glasgow City
 1,261,126
 124,362
 1,408,752
 8.8


 Highland
 556,482
 38,079
 479,056
 8.0


 Inverclyde
 220,924
 14,893
 199,085
 7.5


 Midlothian
 85,724
 10,993
 166,033
 6.6


 Moray
 155,865
 11,380
 176,062
 6.5


 North Ayrshire
 201,081
 17,944
 292,333
 6.1


 North Lanarkshire
 415,444
 34,127
 630,833
 5.4


 Orkney Islands
 36,535
 3,109
 62,918
 4.9


 Perth and Kinross
 158,217
 13,850
 263,234
 5.3


 Renfrewshire
 277,628
 28,107
 349,563
 8.0


 Scottish Borders
 162,102
 16,411
 223,580
 7.3


 Shetland Islands
 49,522
 1,274
 77,505
 1.6


 South Ayrshire
 175,281
 12,565
 222,812
 5.6


 South Lanarkshire
 443,821
 40,839
 592,314
 6.9


 Stirling
 155,269
 14,544
 180,755
 8.1


 West Dunbartonshire
 195,040
 13,059
 203,470
 6.4


 West Lothian
 224,360
 16,687
 303,886
 5.5


 Total
 8,767,793
 746,489
 10,601,528
 7.0



  Note: *Net Revenue Expenditure is net expenditure financed from grants, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances.

  (e) Financial Year 2006-07 (All Values in £000)

  

 Local Authority
 Outstanding Debt at 31 Mar 2007
 In-Year Debt Servicing Charges
 In-Year Net Revenue Expenditure*
 Debt Servicing Charges to Net Revenue Expenditure (%)


 Aberdeen City
 421,585
 29,403
 432,219
 6.8


 Aberdeenshire
 375,710
 28,102
 452,263
 6.2


 Angus
 159,835
 10,128
 210,971
 4.8


 Argyll and Bute
 199,630
 29,784
 219,481
 13.6


 Clackmannanshire
 97,453
 7,524
 101,771
 7.4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 194,656
 19,015
 325,388
 5.8


 Dundee City
 331,916
 21,905
 313,673
 7.0


 East Ayrshire
 187,541
 13,733
 247,701
 5.5


 East Dunbartonshire
 115,167
 15,020
 207,937
 7.2


 East Lothian
 154,766
 13,282
 186,548
 7.1


 East Renfrewshire
 108,427
 11,879
 184,532
 6.4


 Edinburgh, City of
 900,577
 71,384
 867,682
 8.2


 Eilean Siar
 149,726
 21,034
 110,001
 19.1


 Falkirk
 204,652
 16,624
 291,952
 5.7


 Fife
 535,912
 39,535
 688,900
 5.7


 Glasgow City
 1,305,244
 90,429
 1,415,074
 6.4


 Highland
 562,104
 39,205
 489,380
 8.0


 Inverclyde
 220,366
 15,490
 178,982
 8.7


 Midlothian
 91,687
 11,107
 175,095
 6.3


 Moray
 157,495
 11,557
 175,432
 6.6


 North Ayrshire
 207,230
 18,661
 276,578
 6.8


 North Lanarkshire
 412,431
 36,942
 602,645
 6.1


 Orkney Islands
 37,007
 3,194
 66,042
 4.8


 Perth and Kinross
 162,237
 15,011
 266,010
 5.6


 Renfrewshire
 285,389
 29,013
 350,133
 8.3


 Scottish Borders
 165,811
 17,212
 231,959
 7.4


 Shetland Islands
 49,142
 6
 102,989
 0.0


 South Ayrshire
 176,118
 12,458
 225,256
 5.5


 South Lanarkshire
 500,121
 45,629
 601,136
 7.6


 Stirling
 162,204
 14,927
 184,249
 8.1


 West Dunbartonshire
 198,584
 13,374
 207,441
 6.5


 West Lothian
 246,571
 17,086
 319,489
 5.4


 Total
 9,077,294
 739,653
 10,708,910
 6.9



  Note: *Net Revenue Expenditure is net expenditure financed from grants, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances.

Ministerial Transport

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail each occasion on which the Minister for Community Safety made use of the Government Car Service during (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2007.

John Swinney: The information requested is detailed below.

  

 Date
 Collection Point
 Destination


 2 October 2007
 Personal Address
 149-151 Dunkeld Road


 
 149-151 Dunkeld Road
 SAH


 3 October 2007
 SAH
 Parliament


 
 Personal Address
 Royal Britannia


 
 Royal Britannia
 Personal Address


 4 October 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 8 October 2007
 Personal Address
 Hilton Hotel


 
 Hilton Hotel
 Personal Address


 17 October 2007
 Personal Address
 Fort William Station


 
 Fort William Station
 Personal Address


 23 October 2007
 Personal Address
 Signpost Forth Valley / Unit 2


 
 Signpost Forth Valley / Unit 2
 SAH


 
 Personal Address
 Bute House


 
 Bute House
 Personal Address


 24 October 2007
 Personal Address
 Business Crime Centre


 
 Business Crime Centre
 Parliament


 25 October 2007
 Personal Address
 8 West Pilton Gardens


 
 8 West Pilton Gardens
 Personal Address


 8 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Sheraton Grand Htl


 
 Sheraton Grand Htl
 Parliament


 12 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Ballantyne House


 
 Ballantyne House
 Personal Address


 
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 13 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Crieff Hydro


 
 Crieff Hydro
 Saltcoats Police Station


 
 Saltcoats Police Station
 Ardrossan Academy


 
 Ardrossan Academy
 Ardrossan Fire Station


 
 Ardrossan Fire Station
 Michael Lynch Centre


 
 Michael Lynch Centre
 Braidwoods Restaurant


 
 Braidwoods Restaurant
 1A Bridgend / Kilbirnie


 
 Radio City
 Personal Address


 14 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Dunblane Hydro


 
 Dunblane Hydro
 Jurys Inn


 
 Jurys Inn
 Parliament


 15 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 17 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 18 November 2007
 Personal Address
 BBC Pacific Quay


 
 BBC Pacific Quay
 Personal Address


 19 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Polmont YOI


 
 Polmont YOI
 Personal Address


 
 Personal Address
 Glasgow City Chambers


 
 Glasgow City Chambers
 Personal Address


 20 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Ballikinrain School


 
 Ballikinrain School
 Personal Address


 26 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Parish Hall / 266 George St


 
 Parish Hall / 266 George St
 Personal Address


 27 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 
 Edinburgh Castle
 Personal Address


 28 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Barony Hall


 
 Barony Hall
 Parliament


 29 November 2007
 Parliament
 Scotsman Hotel


 
 Scotsman Hotel
 Parliament


 
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 30 November 2007
 Personal Address
 Aviemore Primary School


 
 Aviemore Primary School
 Culloden Visitor Centre


 
 Culloden Visitor Centre
 Highland Council


 
 Personal Address
 Nairn Academy


 
 Nairn Academy
 Personal Address


 04 December 2007
 Personal Address
 Saughton Prison


 
 Saughton Prison
 SACRO, 25 Nicholson SQ


 
 SACRO, 25 Nicholson SQ
 29-31 Alva St


 
 29-31 Alva St
 SAH


 05 December 2007
 SAH / Car Share MW
 Parliament


 06 December 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 10 December 2007
 Personal Address
 NCH / Station Square


 
 NCH / Station Square
 Personal Address


 11 December 2007
 Personal Address
 Beardmore Hotel


 
 Beardmore Hotel
 Roseberry House


 
 Roseberry House
 Thornton Fire Station


 
 Thornton Fire Station
 SAH


 
 SAH
 Bute House


 
 Bute House
 Personal Address


 12 December 2007
 Parliament
 28 Ferry Road


 
 28 Ferry Road
 Parliament


 13 December 2007
 Personal Address
 Personal Address


 17 December 2007
 Personal Address
 NCH


 
 NCH
 HM Prison Inverness (Jail)


 
 HM Prison Inverness (Jail)
 Personal Address

NHS Equipment

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £525 million capital funding for NHS facilities and the upgrade of equipment and IT systems, announced on 10 March 2008, will assist in shifting the balance of health care from acute to community settings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. Capital programmes are established by NHS boards to support NHSScotland objectives and priorities, including those associated with shifting the balance of health care from acute to community settings. Because capital funding is distributed directly to NHS boards this means that NHS boards can determine, based on local needs, how this money should be spent in achieving such objectives.

NHS Equipment

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the £525 million capital funding for NHS facilities and the upgrade of equipment and IT systems, announced on 10 March 2008, it anticipates will be spent on (a) acute and (b) community health services.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally. NHS boards have long-term financial plans in place which determine planned spending including expenditure on acute and community health services. Since 2002, capital funding has been distributed to NHS boards by an Arbuthnott-based formula adjusted for cross boundary flows and tertiary services. This means that NHS boards decide, based on their knowledge of the needs of the local area, how this money should be spent.

NHS Equipment

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions were held with NHS boards about their particular infrastructure needs for the delivery of care in their respective communities prior to the announcement of 10 March 2008 of £525 million capital funding.

Nicola Sturgeon: No discussions are held with NHS boards prior to the allocation of capital funding. Capital resources have been allocated directly to geographic NHS boards on a formula basis since 2002. The capital funding formula used is the Arbuthnott formula (as used for revenue allocations) adjusted for cross boundary flows and weighted for the provision of regional specialities. This means that boards can determine, based on their local knowledge or the local needs of the local area how this money should be spent.

Rail Network

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement to the Parliament by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change on 5 March 2008, whether the non-profit distributing vehicle proposed for procurement of the Waverley railway project can be established without (a) primary or (b) secondary legislation.

Stewart Stevenson: The Waverley rail project already has statutory authority from the Scottish Parliament, and Transport Scotland is shortly to take over the role as "statutory undertaker". This will allow Transport Scotland to proceed with the necessary procurement. Further primary or secondary legislation will not be required for the non profit distributing method of procurement to be used.

Science

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4458 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2007, whether it can now provide details of the scope, timing and related stakeholder engagement for its proposed replacement science strategy.

Fiona Hyslop: The Government Economic Strategy states that a new science strategy for Scotland will outline how science will underpin Scotland’s success as a nation through developing knowledge exchange between academia and business, increasing the flow of overseas investment into Scotland’s research and development base and developing the science base. Current policy development work includes engagement with the Scottish Science Advisory Committee and we shall also engage with a wide range of key stakeholders, based on those who responded to the formal consultation in 2006-07, and others as appropriate.

  As indicated in the response to question S3W-4458 no publication date has been set but it is expected that the strategy will be published in 2008, after the summer recess.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Science

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4458 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2007, when it expects its proposed replacement science strategy to be published.

Fiona Hyslop: As indicated in the response to question S3W-4458 no publication date has been set but it is expected that the science strategy will be published in 2008, after the summer recess.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Government Equipment

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many laptops have been lost or stolen from its departments since May 2007.

John Swinney: Four laptops have been lost or stolen from the Scottish Government since May 2007. Three contained no government data and the other contained no sensitive data.

Scottish Government Equipment

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many laptops have been lost or stolen from its agencies since May 2007.

John Swinney: Two laptops have been lost or stolen since May 2007 from agencies which use the Scottish Government IT services and which acquire such equipment through the government.

Scottish Government Funding

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding it will receive as a result of the announcements in the UK Budget, broken down by year.

John Swinney: As a result of the announcements in the UK budget, the Scottish Government will receive the amounts shown in the following table:

  

 
 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11
 Total


£ million
£ million
£ million
£ million
£ million


 Resource
 8.1
 5.6
 3.0
 4.5
 21.2


 Capital
 5.0
 0.1
 0.0
 0.0
 5.1


 Total
 13.1
 5.7
 3.0
 4.5
 26.3



  Note: The £13.1 million for 2007-08 will be added to the Scottish Government’s end-year flexibility balance at HM Treasury.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many complaints, other than those concerning constituent representation, the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has dealt with since responsibility for complaints about constituent representation was transferred to the Presiding Officer.

Mike Pringle: The SPCB does not hold this information but we have been advised by the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner that between May 2007 and February 2008 inclusive he received 22 complaints, 17 of which related to matters other than constituent representation.